1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a holder for a beverage container. More particularly, the invention relates to a beverage container holder which securely holds beverage containers of different shape and size.
2. State of the Art
Today, the passenger compartment of almost every motor vehicle has at least one cup-like structure which is designed to hold a beverage container. Many beverage containers are similar in size and shape. For example, 12 and 16 ounce cans and 12 and 16 ounce bottles are all circular in cross section and all have similar diameters (approximately 2.5-2.75 inches). Most paper and foam coffee cups also have similar diameters. Thus, most of the motor vehicle “cup holders” consist of a round structure having a diameter (approximately 2.75-2.875 inches) large enough to accept the largest of the most popular bottles, cans, and cups. Some cup holders even include some resilient means for securely holding the smallest of the most popular bottles, cans, and cups. Nevertheless, these cup holders are all designed to hold round containers.
For some time now, many beverages, particularly juices have been sold in containers which have a square or rectangular cross section. These rectangular containers are generally one of two types, a smaller rectangular container having “foot print” of approximately 1.875×2.75 inches and a larger square container having a foot print of approximately 2.75 inches square. These beverage containers do not fit into any of the automobile cup holders. A potential solution to this problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 355,336 which shows what appears to be a plastic rectangular holder having a hanging hook. However, the hook looks to be too small to be effective and, more significantly, the rectangular holder is clearly dimensioned to hold only the smaller rectangular juice container. In other words, it cannot hold the larger square container and certainly cannot hold a round container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,579 proposes an extraordinarily complex beverage container holder which is designed to hold containers of different size and shape. As disclosed in the '579 patent, “[a] holder for a beverage container [includes] a container support platform having a central axis, and a series of container contact elements disposed around the central axis for exerting positioning forces on side surfaces of the container. Each container contact element contains a liquid core material that transitions to a near-solid state when subjected to a magnetic field. Magnetic mechanisms are provided in the holder for generating one or more magnetic fields, that have the result of rigidifying the container contact elements to conform to a range of different container sizes and shapes. The magnetic mechanisms can be electromagnets or permanent magnets.” Clearly, this solution is far too expensive to replace the simple plastic cup structure found in most vehicles today.